Aston Martin Zagato: driven at the ‘Ring

Where better to test a bespoke prototype than the Nürburgring 24 Hour race?

Tyre choice has to be finalised a few hours before the start, and standing on the grid with only 15 minutes to go, a dry line is clearly starting to appear. There'll be pit stops at the end of the first lap. There's a Ferrari 458 in pole, with Merc SLSs, Audi R8s, BMW M3s and numerous Porsches at the sharp end of a grid that runs to more than 200 cars.

No wonder this race has grown in stature. It's supercar central down here, and we bump into the man from McLaren, who promises a full-on MP4-12C GT3 assault here next year.